Compare the2025 Cadillac XT4VS 2025 Subaru Forester

The Cadillac XT4 has standard driver and front passenger side knee airbags mounted low on the dashboard. These airbags helps prevent the driver and front passenger from sliding under their seatbelts or the main frontal airbags; this keeps them better positioned during a collision for maximum protection. Knee airbags also help keep the legs from striking the dashboard, preventing knee and leg injuries in the case of a serious frontal collision. The Forester doesn’t offer a front passenger side knee airbag.

The XT4 has a standard blind spot warning system that uses sensors to alert the driver to objects in the vehicle’s blind spots where the side view mirrors don’t reveal them and moves the vehicle back into its lane. A system to reveal vehicles in the Forester’s blind spot costs extra.

To help make backing out of a parking space safer, the XT4 has standard Rear Cross Traffic Alert and Rear Cross Traffic Braking automatically engages the brakes to help avoid a collision. Subaru charges extra for Rear Cross Traffic Alert on the Forester and its not available on the Base and the Forester’s Rear Cross Traffic Alert does not include automatic braking.

Compared to metal, the XT4’s plastic fuel tank can withstand harder, more intrusive impacts without leaking; this decreases the possibility of fire. The Subaru Forester has a metal gas tank.

Both the XT4 and the Forester have standard driver and passenger frontal airbags, front side-impact airbags, driver knee airbags, side-impact head airbags, front and rear seatbelt pretensioners, height adjustable front shoulder belts, four-wheel antilock brakes, traction control, electronic stability systems to prevent skidding, crash mitigating brakes, daytime running lights, lane departure warning systems, rearview cameras and available all wheel drive.

The XT4 comes with a full 4-year/50,000-mile basic warranty, which covers the entire truck. The Forester’s 3-year/36,000-mile basic warranty expires 1 year or 14,000 miles sooner.

Cadillac’s powertrain warranty covers the XT4 1 year and 10,000 miles longer than Subaru covers the Forester. Any repair needed on the engine, transmission, axles, joints or driveshafts is fully covered for 6 years or 70,000 miles. Coverage on the Forester ends after only 5 years or 60,000 miles.

The XT4’s corrosion warranty is 1 year longer than the Forester’s (6 vs. 5 years).

J.D. Power and Associates’ 2024 survey of the owners of three-year-old vehicles provides the long-term dependability statistics that show that Cadillac vehicles are more reliable than Subaru With 2 fewer problems per 100 vehicles in the first three years of ownership, J.D. Power ranks Cadillac higher than Subaru.

The XT4’s 2.0 turbo 4-cylinder produces 55 more horsepower (235 vs. 180) and 80 lbs.-ft. more torque (258 vs. 178) than the Forester’s 2.5 DOHC 4-cylinder.

As tested in Car and Driver the Cadillac XT4 is faster than the Subaru Forester:

	XT4	Forester
Zero to 60 MPH	7 sec	8.3 sec
Zero to 100 MPH	19 sec	23 sec
5 to 60 MPH Rolling Start	7.3 sec	8.9 sec
Quarter Mile	15.4 sec	16.6 sec
Speed in 1/4 Mile	92 MPH	87 MPH
Top Speed	132 MPH	127 MPH

An engine control system that can shut down some of the engine’s cylinders helps improve the XT4’s fuel efficiency. The Forester doesn’t offer a system that can shut down part of the engine.

The XT4 has a standard cap-less fueling system. The fuel filler is automatically opened when the fuel nozzle is inserted and automatically closed when it’s removed. This eliminates the need to unscrew and replace the cap and it reduces fuel evaporation, which causes pollution. The Forester doesn’t offer a cap-less fueling system.

For better stopping power the XT4’s brake rotors are larger than those on the Forester:

	XT4	Forester
Front Rotors	12.6 inches	12.4 inches
Rear Rotors	12.4 inches	11.8 inches

The XT4 stops shorter than the Forester:

	XT4	Forester
70 to 0 MPH	165 feet	172 feet	Car and Driver

For better traction, the XT4 has larger standard tires than the Forester (235/60R18 vs. 225/60R17). The XT4’s optional tires are larger than the largest tires available on the Forester (245/45R20 vs. 235/50R19).

The XT4’s optional tires provide better handling because they have a lower 45 series profile (height to width ratio) that provides a stiffer sidewall than the Forester Sport/Touring’s 50 series tires.

For better ride, handling and brake cooling the XT4 has standard 18-inch wheels. Smaller 17-inch wheels are standard on the Forester. The XT4’s optional 20-inch wheels are larger than the 19-inch wheels on the Forester Sport/Touring.

The XT4 has a standard easy tire fill system. When inflating the tires, the vehicle’s integrated tire pressure sensors keep track of the pressure as the tires fill and tell the driver when the tires are inflated to the proper pressure. The Forester doesn’t offer vehicle monitored tire inflation.

The XT4 offers an available driver-adjustable suspension system. It allows the driver to choose between an extra-supple ride, reducing fatigue on long trips, or a sport setting, which allows maximum control for tricky roads or off-road. The Forester’s suspension doesn’t offer adjustable shock absorbers.

The XT4 has variable-assist power steering, for low-effort parking, better control at highway speeds and during hard cornering, and a better feel of the road. The Forester doesn’t offer variable-assist power steering.

For a smoother ride and more stable handling, the XT4’s wheelbase is 4.3 inches longer than on the Forester (109.4 inches vs. 105.1 inches).

For better handling and stability, the track (width between the wheels) on the XT4 is 1.5 inches wider in the front and 1.2 inches wider in the rear than the average track on the Forester.

The XT4 Sport AWD handles at .89 G’s, while the Forester Sport pulls only .82 G’s of cornering force in a Car and Driver skidpad test.

The XT4 uses computer-generated active noise cancellation to help remove annoying noise and vibration from the passenger compartment, especially at low frequencies. The Forester doesn’t offer active noise cancellation.

The XT4 has .8 inches more front legroom and .1 inches more rear legroom than the Forester.

A standard locking glovebox (which can’t be accessed with the valet key) keeps your small valuables safer in the XT4. The Forester doesn’t offer locking storage for small valuables.

The XT4’s standard towing capacity is much higher than the Forester’s (2000 vs. 1500 pounds). Maximum trailer towing in the Subaru Forester is only 1500 pounds. The XT4 offers up to a 3500 lbs. towing capacity.

The XT4 uses gas struts to support the hood for easier service access. The Forester uses a prop rod to support its heavy hood. It takes two hands to open the hood and set the prop rod, the prop rod gets in the way during maintenance and service, and the prop rod could be knocked out, causing the heavy hood to fall on the person maintaining or servicing the car.

J.D. Power and Associates surveys of service recipients show that Cadillac service is better than Subaru. J.D. Power ranks Cadillac fifth in service department satisfaction. With a 6% lower rating, Subaru is ranked 7th.

The XT4’s instruments include an oil pressure gauge and a temperature gauge - which could save your engine! Often ‘idiot lights’ don’t warn you until damage has been done. The Forester does not have an oil pressure gauge.

The XT4 offers an optional heads-up display that projects speed, tachometer and navigation instruction readouts in front of the driver’s line of sight, allowing drivers to view information without diverting their eyes from the road. The Forester doesn’t offer a heads-up display.

The power windows standard on both the XT4 and the Forester have locks to prevent small children from operating them. When the lock on the XT4 is engaged the driver can still operate all of the windows, for instance to close one opened by a child. The Forester prevents the driver from operating the other windows just as it does the other passengers.

The XT4’s front and rear power windows all open fully with one touch of the switches and its front windows also automatically close, making it more convenient at drive-up windows and toll booths, or when talking with someone outside the car. The Forester’s standard passenger windows don’t open or close automatically. The Forester Premium/Sport/Limited/Touring’s rear windows don’t open automatically.

On a hot day the XT4’s driver can lower all the windows from a distance using the keyless remote. The driver of the Forester can only operate the windows from inside the vehicle, with the ignition on.

The XT4’s standard Keyless Access allow you to unlock the doors from any outside door handle, open the cargo door, and start the engine, all without removing the key from the pocket or purse. Keyless Access and Start is only offered on the Forester Premium/Sport/Limited/Touring, and doesn’t offer a sensor on the rear doors, so you’ll have to reach a front handle to unlock the rear door.

The XT4’s rain-sensitive wipers adjust their speed and turn on and off automatically based on the amount of rainfall on the windshield. This allows the driver to concentrate on driving without constantly adjusting the wipers. The Forester’s manually variable intermittent wipers have to be constantly adjusted.

The XT4’s standard outside mirrors include heating elements to clear off the mirrors for better visibility. Subaru only offers heated mirrors on the Forester Premium/Sport/Limited/Touring.

Unlike the Subaru Forester’s fixed side view mirrors, the Cadillac XT4 has power folding mirrors that offer unparalleled convenience while maneuvering in tight places or parked. With the mirrors folded it’s easier to walk past and help prevent parking damage. The mirrors can be quickly unfolded when the driver is ready to leave.

The XT4 offers optional massaging front seats in order to maximize comfort and eliminate fatigue on long trips. Massaging seats aren’t available in the Forester.

The Cadillac XT4 has a standard Homelink wireless remote control system for garage door operation and device management, conveniently located on the overhead console. Homelink® eliminates the need for separate garage door openers and associated risks of losing, breaking, or having dead batteries. Subaru charges extra for Homelink® on the Forester.

The XT4’s available Automatic Park Assist can parallel park by itself, starting and stopping automatically, with the driver only responsible for switching from reverse to drive. The Forester’s automatic parking system requires operating the brakes and transmission to safely park.

The XT4 is available in both front-wheel drive and four-wheel drive configurations. The Forester doesn’t offer a two-wheel drive configuration.